Abstract: According to a general aspect, a method includes maintaining rating groups, each rating group providing a rating for content compiled based on information received from a user evaluating the content. The method also includes receiving, from a first user, a selection of a first rating group, from among the rating groups, to be applied to a set of users associated with the first user. The method also includes receiving, from a user, a request for a piece of content from the content. The method also includes determining that the user from which the request was received belongs to the set of users associated with the first user. The method also includes, based upon the determination that the user belonged to the set of users associated with the first user, accessing information associated with the first rating group and determining whether the first rating group includes a rating for the requested piece of content.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device receives from a mobile device a request for one or more images. The computing device adjusts one or more of the images based at least in part on one or more display capabilities of the mobile device, and one or more tagged regions within one or more of the images. The computing device sends to the mobile device one or more of the images as adjusted.

Abstract: A social networking system includes information identifying a machine (e.g., a robot, a drone, a computer, a thermostat, etc.) and a connection between the machine and an owner of the machine, which is a user of the social networking system capable of authorizing an action by the machine. The owner of the machine associates permissions associated with various actions by the machine, where a permission associated with an action identifies one or more criteria for performing the action. Permissions may specify types of connections between social networking system users and the owner of the machine via the social networking system to allow social networking system users with specific types of connections to the owner of the machine to perform certain actions using the machine.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a user of a mobile device controls a scrollable application user interface by using touch inputs to the mobile device's side-mounted touchpad.

Abstract: A method for cache management of a mobile device communicatively connected to a network component via a network is provided. The method comprises receiving by the network component a request from the mobile device for a data item, the request accompanied by a unique identifier associated thereto, the data item residing in the cache; fetching the data item from at least a server communicatively connected to the network component; generating a unique identifier respective of the fetched data item; and comparing the generated unique identifier and the received unique identifier to determine whether the data item in the cache is the same as the data item fetched from the at least a server.

Abstract: A system forms sub-groups from a given user group of a social networking system and form descriptions of the sub-groups that provide an intuitive understanding of sub-group composition, such as likings of the sub-groups. In one embodiment, a given user group of a social networking system is clustered into a plurality of sub-groups, and representative characteristics—such as the characteristics of a composite or actual member of the sub-group—are determined for each sub-group. In order to form sub-group descriptions, a set of objects, such as pages of the social networking system, is ranked with respect to the representative characteristics of the sub-group. The highest-ranking objects for a sub-group are then used to form the description of that sub-group. For example, the topics associated with each of the highest-ranking pages can be combined into the sub-group description.

Abstract: Techniques for a network interface controller (NIC) capable of performing general-purpose computing tasks without intervention from a central processing unit (CPU) are disclosed herein. The network interface controller includes a circuit board, a network interface, a computer bus interface and a processor. The network interface is operatively coupled to the circuit board for receiving network packets. The computer bus interface is operatively coupled to the circuit board for receiving a general-purpose program. The processor is operatively coupled to the circuit board and capable of executing the general-purpose program to process the network packets.

Abstract: A social photo curation system is used to automatically identify a subset of photos for an album to provide to a viewing user. The album and its photos are associated with metadata indicating information about the photos, such as individuals tagged in the photos, locations where the photos were taken, keywords or concepts associated with the photos, and the quality and variety of the photos. The social photo curation system uses this metadata to score and select the photos for a particular viewing user. The scoring and selection of photos for the album may be independent of the viewing user, or it may be customized based on the viewing user's interests and connections to other users in a social networking system.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by one or more server computing devices, receiving state data of a client computing device. The state data includes event data indicating events generated by or occurring at the client computing device and context data associated with the event data. The context data indicates device states of the client computing device that each coincide with one or more of the events and indicate a context of the one or more of the events. The method also includes, by one or more server computing devices, ordering the events and the device states in the event and context data into a state-data-review structure and analyzing the state-data-review structure to generate one or more recommendations on operation of the client computing device.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems receive a first plurality of actions from a first entity with respect to a first plurality of objects. A global object related to each of the first plurality of objects is determined and a representation of the global object is displayed in association with a representation of the first entity. Additionally, in response to receiving user feedback on the representation of the global object displayed in association with the representation of the first entity, an instance of the global object that is unique to the first entity is created. The displayed representation of the global object is converted into a representation of the instance of the global object that is unique to the first entity.

Abstract: A social networking system includes information identifying a machine (e.g., a robot, a drone, a computer, a thermostat, etc.) and a connection between the machine and an owner of the machine, which is a user of the social networking system capable of authorizing an action by the machine. The owner of the machine associates permissions associated with various actions by the machine, where a permission associated with an action identifies one or more criteria for performing the action. Permissions may specify types of connections between social networking system users and the owner of the machine via the social networking system to allow social networking system users with specific types of connections to the owner of the machine to perform certain actions using the machine. Information describing an action performed by the machine may be communicated to other users of the social networking system via any suitable communication channel.

Abstract: A stand-alone icon (i.e., an icon that is not part of an application interface) is provided to facilitate communications across a network between users of at least one communications program. The icon represents a contact or a set of contacts. Status information regarding the contact or set of contacts is received and displayed using the icon or in response to an operation performed on the icon. The icon additionally may provide an interface for performing actions related to the contact or set of contacts. The actions may generally include, for example, retrieving profile information about the contact, setting an alert to indicate that the contact's network/login status (e.g., login, logout, or idle) has changed, or performing communications with the contact.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technology for publishing subscriptions in a publish-subscribe system in accordance with subscription groups. The technology may include (i) determining a consumption characteristic by which each of multiple subscribers in a publish-subscribe system consumes a subscription published by a publisher; (ii) identifying the subscribers whose consumption characteristics satisfy a specified similarity criterion; (iii) defining multiple subscription groups, each of which includes subscriptions of those of the subscribers whose consumption characteristics satisfy the specified similarity criterion; (iv) storing the subscriptions in multiple logical partitions of a storage system where each of the logical partitions contains a separate non-overlapping subset of the subscriptions; and (v) transmitting the subscriptions to the subscribers in accordance with the subscription groups.

Abstract: Various embodiments relating to a social cache replacement policy are described. The techniques of the present invention disclosed utilize social network properties to guide a cache replacement policy executed by a social networking platform system. In one embodiment, a method is provided for determining a queue location to cache a data item based on a popularity score computed from social network properties. In one embodiment, a method is provided for computing the popularity score by incorporating a user's social network properties and the user's friends' social network properties. In embodiments, the popularity score may be computed using a plurality of social network properties, which may include social network properties associated with (i) the user, (ii) the consumer(s), and/or (iii) the data item(s). In embodiments, a plurality of popularity scores are maintained in a user-score database, where the plurality of popularity scores are periodically updated using historical data.

Abstract: A method of deployment of a power monitor system includes: coupling a monitor device that has a measurement component to a power line communication device for communicating a physical quantity measured by the measurement component across a power line; inserting a connection tap of an electrical access device into the power line through an insulation sheath to a conductor within the power line; attaching the electrical access device to the power line; and coupling electrically the electrical access device to the monitor device and the power line communication device.

Abstract: A system and method for operation of cross-platform applications on a wireless phone is provided. The applications can be cross-platform applications in that the same application code can be run on different wireless phone platforms. The method and system can for a wireless phone which runs a cross-platform application that enables the processor of the wireless phone to run the cross-platform applications. The wireless phone processor can operate to determine platform parameters of the phone and then run the cross-platform application using the determined phone parameters.

Abstract: In particular embodiments, a method comprising, accessing, at a client device, a set of search results in a structured document loaded into a client application, wherein the search results correspond to a search query of a first user, accessing a data store of social graph information to determine if one or more second users having an association with the first user have accessed any of the search results, and visually distinguishing, at the client device, in a user interface of the client application each of the one or more search results that have been accessed by one or more second users.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by a computing device, receiving sensor data from a sensor on the computing device indicating physical movement of the computing device. The method also includes determining a motion-trigger signal of the sensor data corresponding to a first characteristic of the physical movement of the computing device and a motion-confirm signal of the sensor data corresponding to a second characteristic of the physical movement of the computing device. The method further includes determining whether the motion-trigger signal includes a transition from within a pre-defined threshold band to outside of the pre-defined threshold band and whether the motion-confirm signal is within the pre-defined threshold band.

Abstract: The technology is directed to profiling binary code based on a computed “density” of functions in the code. The density of a function can be computed as the frequency of execution of the function divided by the size of the function. Functions that execute more often and are smaller in size (“dense functions”) are moved towards the “front” (e.g., beginning) of the binary code. The frequency of execution can be measured at runtime using a performance measurement tool without requiring modification of the binary code or corresponding source code. After density is computed (e.g., over a period of time) for functions, it can be used to cause linkers to rearrange the binary code to place denser functions closer to the “front” of the binary code. By loading denser functions first (e.g., into processor caches and translation lookaside buffer (“TLB”)), the technology reduces cache and TLB misses, and thereby improves system performance.

Abstract: Particular embodiments include a method comprising accessing location data representing a first location of a first user wherein the first location corresponds to geographic coordinates, retrieving image data defining a graphical map from a remote server based on the first location accessing a search query inputted by the first user, retrieving one or more second locations in response to the search query, where the one or more second locations correspond to geographic coordinates, and displaying a first view comprising a list of the one or more second locations overlaying at least a portion of the graphical map, wherein the graphical map includes indicators for the first location and at least one of the one or more second locations in accordance with their respective geographic coordinates.

Abstract: Techniques to generate mass push notifications are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a submission component, a query component, a delivery component, and a record update component. The submission component may be operative to receive a message bundle, the message bundle comprising a message and a query. The query component may be operative to compare the query to a plurality of recipient records to determine a plurality of recipient records matching the query, each of the plurality of recipient records corresponding to a particular installation of a particular application onto a particular device. The delivery component may be operative to broadcast the message to a plurality of installed applications corresponding to the plurality of recipients records matching the query. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A time a user of a client application is likely to access a preferred network connection is predicted. A pre-download index for one or more multimedia content items is calculated, where the pre-download index represents how likely the user is to interact with the one or more multimedia content items at approximately the predicted time. The indexed multimedia content items are ranked based on the pre-download index of each of the one or more multimedia content items. The ranked multimedia content items are provided to the client application at the predicted time.

Abstract: Particular embodiments determine a modified image for a CAPTCHA. The CAPTCHA may include an original image, a challenge based on the original image, and/or a correct response based on the original image. The modified image may be a scrambled version of the original image. Web-browser-executable code is determined for unscrambling the modified image back to the original image. The modified image and the web-browser-executable code are then provided to a computing device. Upon receiving the modified image and the web-browser-executable code, the computing device then displays the original image based on the modified image and the web-browser-executable code.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for sending and receiving payments using an integrated payment and messaging system. In particular, the integrated payment and messaging system allows users to send and receive electronic payments as well as exchange messages. For example, one or more implementations involve facilitating same day push-to-debit payment transactions between a user and a co-user. To illustrate, one or more implementations involve sending a push-to-debit request to credit funds for the payment amount of the payment transaction to a debit card of a co-user, the push-to-debit request being formatted for same day processing.

Abstract: A social networking system provides a personalized set of bookmarks to a user based on the user's interactions with the bookmarks and/or the items associated with the bookmarks. The personalized set of bookmarks is grouped by category, and the categories are ordered in accordance with rankings for the categories. The rankings for the categories are determined based on the highest ranked item from each category of item, and the ranking of the items is determined based on the user's interactions with the bookmarks and/or associated items.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for leveraging narrowband connectivity (such as dial-up communications or other types of low bandwidth communications) to provision or configure broadband connectivity between a broadband access provider and a broadband device, such as a DSL modem or a cable modem. Specifically, because narrowband connectivity does not require advance configuration or provisioning by the host system of connectivity parameters for an access-seeking device, a modem at an access-seeking device may be leveraged to establish a narrowband connection between that device and a host system and to enable an exchange or negotiation of connectivity parameters necessary to enable future broadband connectivity. Thus, once established, the narrowband connection may be used as a conduit for communicating required provisioning information between the broadband-enabling host and the access-seeking device to enable broadband connectivity by the device in the future.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes maintaining access to a data store of information corresponding to nodes and edges; receiving a user-generated character string comprising one or more characters of text entered by a user in an input form as they are entered by the user; searching the stored information for matches between the user-generated character string and existing nodes; determining whether or not a match between the user-generated character string and an existing node exists; and when it is determined that at least one match exists, generating an edge between the node corresponding to the user and the node for which the best match is determined; and when it is determined that no match between the user-generated character string and an existing node exists, generating a new node based on the user-generated character string, and generating an edge between the node corresponding to the user and the new node.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more computing devices receive a search query; the computing devices identify in the search query a search term associated with a first object type of multiple object types; the computing devices modify the search query by optionalizing the search term in the search query; the computing devices also send the search query as modified for execution against a first data store storing objects of the first object type.

Abstract: Methods and systems directed to retrieving voicemails from a voice mailbox server. In particular embodiments, a mailbox server may receive a notification from the voice mailbox server and connect to the voice mailbox server providing the credentials of a client device, and pull new voicemails for storage at the mailbox server. In particular embodiments, mailbox server periodically polls voice mailbox server for new voicemail messages. In particular embodiments, a client device polls or receives notification of new voicemails, and transmits a downloaded message to the mailbox server.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes a content hub subsystem receiving a content posting from an access device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user. The content posting includes data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance. The exemplary method further includes the content hub subsystem storing the content posting and selectively distributing the content instance to at least one other access device connected to the wireless network based on the geographic location, the at least one other access device associated with a second user. A past or present physical location of the at least one other access device within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other access device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members are provided. According to one embodiment, contact content including an associated GPS identifier and status for web-based social network members located at or near the same location automatically appears on a GPS-enabled device. A further exemplary system includes a GPS-enabled device configured to receive a GPS identifier and a status representing a location and a current state for a web-based social network member, a processing module that associates the received GPS-identifier and the received status, and a communications module that sends the associated GPS-identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database. Contact content in a web-based social network database record in the web-based social network database is updated to include the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an unstructured text query from a first user of an online social network; and accessing, from a data store of the mobile client system, a set of nodes of a social graph of the online social network. The social graph includes a number of nodes and edges connecting the nodes. The nodes include a first node corresponding to the first user and a number of second nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network. The method also includes accessing, from the data store of the mobile client system, a set of grammar templates. Each grammar template includes one or more non-terminal tokens and one or more query tokens. The query tokens include references to zero or more second nodes and one or more edges and each grammar template is based on a natural-language string.

Abstract: A social networking system receives contact information from a social networking system user. The received contact information is stored and associated with a user profile in the social networking system including information matching at least a portion of the stored content information. This increases the information associated with the user profile. Subsequently received content information is compared to user profiles and stored contact information associated with one or more user profiles. User profiles including information matching at least a portion of the subsequently received content information or associated with stored contact information matching at least a portion of the subsequently received content information are identified as potential connections for the user providing the subsequently received contact information.

Abstract: Storing data in a cache is disclosed. It is determined that a data record is not stored in a cache. A random value is generated using a threshold value. It is determined whether to store the data record in the cache based at least in part on the generated random value.

Abstract: A social networking system generates a newsfeed for a user to view when accessing the social networking system. Candidate stories associated with users of the social networking system are selected and attributes of each story are determined. The candidate stories are ranked so that the ranking of a candidate story having one or more common attributes with another candidate story is modified. This reduces the likelihood of the newsfeed presenting candidate stories with common attributes proximate to each other.

Abstract: Testing a test component is disclosed. A real-time input communication that has been forked from an input communication intended for a deployed component is received at the test component. At least a portion of the received real-time input communication is processed. A result of the processing is used to at least in part determine a test result of the test component.

Abstract: In one embodiment, collecting a plurality of words from texts submitted by one or more users; for each of a plurality of communication categories, determining a usage frequency of each of one or more of the words within the communication category based on the texts; and constructing one or more customized dictionaries that each comprise a different blending of selected words.

Abstract: A social networking system may provide user metrics for unknown dimensions to an external system using received hash codes from user devices performing actions on the external system. Embodiments of the invention receive hash codes generated by external systems that are embedded in redirect Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that are executed by user devices. The social networking system may match the received hash codes to identifying information about users, e.g., user identifiers. The user profile information may be reported to external systems based on hash codes in an aggregated format without disclosing identifying information about users. In one embodiment, a hash code may include identifying information of an administrator of an external system to enable the administrator to merge information about users of the social networking system with other unknown dimensions of information about the users that is known by the external system.

Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for striping a directed graph, e.g., a social graph, so as to efficiently perform an operation to each node in the directed graph. At least some of the embodiments can select first and second sets of nodes from the directed graph to form first and second stripes. The first and second sets of nodes are selected, for example, based on available computing resources. First and second intermediate results can be generated by performing the operation to each node of the first and the second stripes, respectively. The operation iteratively performs a superstep. The first and the second intermediate results are combined to form a collective result as an output of the superstep.

Abstract: Techniques provided implement automatic data type annotation in dynamically-typed source code. A codebase, which may comprise a plurality of source code files, is scanned at a global level. The resulting scanned data may describe characteristics of the codebase, including variable and function usage. Based on inferences drawn from the scanning, data types are determined for different variables, expressions, or functions to facilitate conversion from dynamically-typed source code to statically-typed source code. For example, if a function is called once with a parameter value of data type A (e.g., class A), and another time with a parameter value of data type B (e.g., class B), a conversion tool may annotate the parameter variable in the declaration of the function with a data type D (e.g., class d) when data type D is identified as a common ancestor (e.g., superclass) to both data type A and data type B.

Abstract: To enhance information about connections in a social networking service, embodiments of the invention enable users to reference nodes while posting content to a communication channel. To identify connections within content in the social networking service, users of the social networking service are provided an interface to post content items in communication channels of the social networking service. A trigger received in the interface indicates that a user wishes to identify a connection in the posted content item. Selectable links enable the user to mention another node in the social networking service when posting a content item. As users reference nodes in content items, information about the connections with the referenced nodes is gathered and stored in a database that is indexable and searchable in real-time.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving from a first user of an online social network a search query, searching data stores to identify objects that match the search query, where identifying the objects is also based in part on the privacy setting for each object, determining for each identified object a visibility of the object with respect to the first user, and generating one or more search results corresponding to the search query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, constructing one or more customized dictionaries for a particular user, each of the customized dictionaries comprising a different blending of one or more frequently used words collected from texts submitted by one or more users; and in response to the user inputting text to an electronic device, selecting one of the customized dictionaries and utilizing it to aid the particular user in inputting text.

Abstract: A social networking system user is prompted to take an action or is provided with additional information associated with a location where the user has checked-in or has associated with content using a tag. When an input including the check-in or tagged location is received, the social networking system selects one or more actions based on the location, the user, and/or contextual information included in the input. A prompt identifying the one or more of the selected actions is generated and presented to the user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device receives input from a user participating in a message session. The computing device detects an emoticon in the received input and identifies an image corresponding to the emoticon. The computing device accesses the image corresponding to the emoticon and replaces the emoticon with the image in the message session.

Abstract: Technology is provided for a strut hanger for connecting a strut to a hanger rod includes a hook portion configured to engage the exterior surface of the hanger rod, a lever portion, a fulcrum disposed between the hook portion and lever portion, and a strut tab extending from the lever portion and configured to engage a strut. Load placed on the strut tab causes the lever portion to act against the fulcrum to force the hook portion against the hanger rod, thereby supporting the strut from the hanger rods without fasteners attached to the hanging rods. The strut hanger can include a clip extending from the lever portion to engage the hanger rod and maintain a minimum load on the lever.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predictive cache replacement policies are provided. In particular, some embodiments dynamically capture and predict access patterns of data to determine which data should be evicted from the cache. A novel tree data structure can be dynamically built that allows for immediate use in the identification of developing patterns and the eviction determination. In some cases, the data can be dynamically organized into histograms, strings, and other representations allowing traditional analysis techniques to be applied. Data organized into histogram-like structures can also be converted into strings allowing for well-known string pattern recognition analysis. The pattern recognition and prediction techniques disclosed also have applications outside of caching.

Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more servers providing an on-line service send a token to a first client computing device associated with a first user of the on-line service, the token being generated by the servers based at least in part on a user identifier of the first user; the serves receive the token from a second client computing device associated with a second user of the on-line service, the token being sent to the second client computing device from the first client computing device through a wireless connection; the servers verify the token based at least in part on the user identifier of the first user; the servers determine data accessible to the second user if the token is verified; the servers also send to the second client computing device at least some of the data accessible to the second user.

Abstract: Tooling and methods for co-molding a body with two different materials. An internal die assembly comprising at least two parts allows for placement of a component and co-molding of the body around the component and then removal of the internal die assembly without disturbing the body.

Abstract: An influence metric describing the influence of a social networking system object on social networking system users is determined based on affinities between the users and the object. For example, affinities between the associated users and the object are combined to determine the influence metric. Content may be selected for presentation to users based in part on influence metrics of the content. Additionally, influence metrics of objects associated with a user may be combined to determine the relevance of objects associated with the user, which may also be used to select content for presentation to the user.